Rusty Zinn
CONFESSIN'
Black Top 1151
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also available on amazon
This is a long awaited release, on Black Top, by one of the most promising of the "new guitarists" that seem to be taking over the market. Rusty Zinn carries more weight than the "guitar slinger" epithet tells. He is an exceptional songwriter as the 5 tunes he wrote, or co-wrote, on this disc will show. Plus he is a singer and is exceptionally good at handling other people's material. Give a listen to the treatment he gives to Robert Nighthawk's SOMEDAY. He makes it his own song without messing up the writer's intentions. A very large plus is the material he is doing isn't that "Chicago sound" that is so popular with those guitar flash kids. He, as I remember him saying at a show in Tucson, is using Austin Texas as his base and has quite a bit of the Texas countrified blues influence in his music. This is music that at times strays into that West Texas blusey countrified sound of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. It is definitely a more laid back and rural sound, that leaves room for each of the players in the 2 bands he uses to great advantage here, to give short but effective solos. It is more ensemble and group effort than individual flash that gives the listener their pleasure. Both groups are equally tight and able to go with the song, one is just a little more of a citified sound while still avoiding that Chicago guitar driven emphasis. He uses his bandmates very well, look at the room he gives Jimmy Pugh to stretch out on organ in CONFESSIN' ABOUT MY BABY. Or maybe you prefer the space Little Charlie Baty fills taking over the lead guitar and solos on SOMEDAY. It adds a different sound to the mix he is getting on this disc with its variety of changes. If you have any doubts about his roots just listen to what he does by himself on the Rick Estrin tune, COME GET THESE BLUES UP OFF ME. This is a another top notch disc of interesting blues on the Black Top label that you want to get your hands on.
Songs, times, writers
1 BEST OF LUCK BABY - 3:39 - T. Jarrett
2 MIMI - 3:32 - R. Estrin/ R. Zinn
3 DON'T LET IT BE IN VAIN - 3:15 - P. Lowman
4 MESSIN' WITH MY BREAD - 2:55 - E. Burns
5 YOU WERE WRONG - 4:15
6 CONFESSIN' ABOUT MY BABY - 4:28 - R. Zinn
7 SAD OLD LONESOME DAY - 4:06 - R. Zinn
8 SOMEDAY - 3:43 - R. Nighthawk
9 LUCILLE - 3:29 - R. Zinn
10 HEY LITTLE GIRL - 4:23 - S. Davis
11 YOUR TURN TO CRY - 3:37 - R. Zinn
12 BIG ROAD BLUES - 3:37 - T. Johnson
13 THINK - 2:50 - L. Pauling
14 IF YOU EVER GET LONESOME - 4:13 - J. Otis
15 COME GET THESE BLUES UP OFF ME - 3:59 - R. Estrin
Musicians on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14
Rusty Zinn - guitar, vocals
Bob Welch - piano, rhythm guitar on #s 4,13, 3
Justin MacCarthy - rhythm guitar on #5
Jimmy Pugh - organ (and organ bass on #6)
Randy Bermudas - acoustic and electric bass
Richard Innes - drums
John Firmin - tenor sax and sax solo on #2
Rob Suddeth - tenor sax and sax solo on #1
The Gospel All-Stars - Roy Tyler, Marvin Cooper, and Joe Thomas appear on #s 3, 13, 14
Musicians on tracks 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,
Rusty Zinn - guitar, vocals
Rick Estrin - harmonica
Bob Welch - piano
Ronnie James - bass on all but #12
Randy Bermudas - acoustic on #12
Richard Innes - drums, percussion on # 7
Robbie Bean - drums on # 7
Little Charlie Baty - lead guitar and solos on # 8, second guitar on # 9
Musicians on # 15
Rusty Zinn - guitar, vocals